Photo Credit: Miranda McLean Photograpy

Dr. Erin Ayala

she/her

With over a decade of experience in clinical and sport psychology, I am a Licensed Psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) offering virtual mental health therapy for athletes aged 14 and above. I also provide one-on-one performance coaching, CMPC mentorship, clinical supervision, and group workshops for teams and sport organizations. Located in Minnesota, I am licensed to work with athletes in 42+ states.

As a sport psychologist, I support athletes in injury recovery, managing performance anxiety, depression, pre-competition stress, confidence, and self-criticism. I specialize in women and non-binary endurance athletes in running, cycling, swimming, rowing, nordic skiing, and triathlon.

Approaching work with a feminist and multicultural perspective, I create a space to explore how cultural identities impact sports and beyond. As an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in sports, I actively support the LGBTQ+ athlete community and have contributed to legal briefings for trans athletes.

Utilizing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, I actively incorporate strategies that assist athletes in managing challenging thoughts, emotions, and situations. Through the use of analogies, I encourage athletes to embrace difficulties while fostering self-compassion. I highlight the significance of adequate rest, quality sleep, and discovering joy. Athletes who work with me experience a sense of understanding and support, while also acquiring essential skills and techniques to boost their performance.

As an endurance sports enthusiast and advocate, I have completed nine marathons, seven half-distance triathlons, and a full-distance triathlon. I’ve also completed several ultra-endurance cycling events, such as Unbound 200.

I have volunteered for a "couch to 5k" program aiding domestic violence survivors in New York. Additionally, I’ve mentored at "Little Bellas," a non-profit mountain biking organization for girls aged 7-13. For the past few years, I’ve sponsored the Minnesota high school mountain bike league, offering coaching education and a designated "chill zone" for student athletes on race days.

Education & Licensure

There are thousands of mental performance coaches out there. It’s important to find the right one.

750 Certified Mental Performance Consultants are in the US.

Of those, 20% are psychologists.

18% are listed on the USOPC mental health registry.

And only 4% are able to practice in 40+ states.

Even fewer continue to publish research in sport psychology.

When you work with Dr. Ayala, you get one of the best.

Education

Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Albany Medical Center
PhD in Counseling Psychology, University at Albany (APA-Accredited)
Pre-Doctoral Internship, Albany Psychology Internship Consortium (APA-Accredited)
BA in Psychology magna cum laude, St. Catherine University

Licensure & Credentials

Licensed Psychologist, Minnesota, License Number: LP6042
Licensed Psychologist, California
Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology, ASPPB
Certified Mental Performance Consultant, Association of Applied Sport Psychology
Board-Approved Supervisor for LPC and LPCC clinicians in training
Listed in US Olympic & Paralympic Committee Mental Health Registry

Publications

Ayala, E. E., Bromback, M. E., Nelson, L., & Kaufman, J. (2024). Mental Health and Developmental Needs of Youth Athletes: A Mixed Methods Study. Journal of Prevention and Health Promotion, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/26320770231210862
Ayala, E. E., Nelson, L., Bartholomew, M., & Plummer, D. (2022). A Conceptual Model for Mental Health and Performance of North American Athletes: A Mixed Methods Study. 61. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102176
Ayala, E. E., Waniger, K. J., Faulkner, K. P. A., & Riley-Schmida, A. (2020). Experiences that Affect Participation for Women and Gender Diverse Athletes in Competitive Cycling, Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education and Leadership, 12, 10-26. doi: 10.18666/JOREL-2020-V12-I1-9912
Ayala, E., & Taylor, J. (2019). Building Blocks- Process. In J. Taylor (Ed.), Comprehensive Applied Sport Psychology: From Attitude to Athletic Success and Everything In Between. Routledge.
Almond, A., Ayala, E., Moore, M., & Mirzoyan, M. (2021). Angry Frustrated, and Silent: Facing microaggressions as women within the discipline that coined microaggressions. Psi Chi Journal, 26(4), 408 - 421. doi: 10.24839.2325-7342.JN26.4.408
Ayala, E. E., Riley-Schmida, A., Faulkner, K., & Waniger, K. (2021). Microaggressions Experienced by Women and Gender Diverse Athletes in Competitive Cycling. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, 29(1), 59 - 67. doi: 10.1123/wspaj.2020-0020
Ayala, E. E., & DelTosta, J. (2014). Rejecting rape culture: Sexual aggression myth acceptance, victimization, and identification: Implications for Tertiary Prevention. Prevention and Health Promotion: Research, Social Action, Practice and Training, 6, 4-15.
Hage, S. M., Ring, E. E., & Lantz, M. (2011). Social justice theory. In R.J.R. Levesque (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Adolescence. New York, NY: Springer.
Mason, H. R. C., Winseman, J., & Ayala, E. E. (2021). Wellbeing of First Generation College Graduates in Medical School. In R. Longwell-Grice and H. Longwell-Grice (Eds.), At the Intersection: Exploring the Intricacies of First Generation College Students Today. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
Mason, H. R. C., Winseman, J., Marcellon, R., Huamatla, M., Ruiz, C., & Ayala, E. E. (2019). First generation medical student wellness in the U.S.: A cross-sectional snapshot. Journal of Best Practices in Health Professions Diversity: Research, Education and Policy, 11, 96-106.
Ayala, E. E., Winseman, J., Johnsen, R., & Mason, H. (2018). US medical students who engage in self-care report less stress and higher quality of life. BMC Medical Education, 18, 189-197. doi: 10.1186/s12909-018-1296-x
Ayala, E. E., & Almond, A. L. (2018). Self-Care of Women Enrolled in Health Service Psychology Programs: A Concept Mapping Approach. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. doi: 10.1037/pro0000190
Ayala, E. E., Roseman, D., Winseman, J., & Mason, H. (2017). Prevalence, consequences, and perceptions of alcohol and drug use of U.S. medical students. Medical Education Online, 22, 1-7. doi: 10.1080/10872981.2017.1392824
Ayala, E. E., Omorodion, A., Nmecha, D., Winseman. J., & Mason, H. (2017). What do medical students do for self-care? A student centered approach to well-being. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 3, 237-246. doi: 10.1080/10401334.2016.1271334. **2018 Editor’s Choice Award**
Mason, H. (2017). A cross-sectional snapshot of sleep quality and quantity among U.S. medical students. Academic Psychiatry, 41, 664-668. doi: 10.1007/s40596-016-0653-5
Ayala, E. E.., Ellis, M. V., Grudev, N., & Cole, J. (2017). Women in health service psychology programs: Stress, self-care, and quality of life. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 11, 18-25. doi: 10.1037/tep0000141
Hage, S., Ayala, E. E., & Schwartz, J. (2019). The experience of doctoral students at program-affiliated practicum training clinics. Training and Education in Professional Psychology. doi: 10.1037/tep0000264
Brannan, D., Cannon, B., Ayala, E., Zacchilli, T. L., Hughes, J. L., Ahlum, M. B., & Rouse, S. V. (2019). Invited Editorial: Psi Chi Journal practices that foster publishable student research articles. Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 24, 15-17. doi: 10.24839/2325-7342.JN24.1.15
Ayala, E. (2018). How to prepare theses and dissertations for publication in peer reviewed journals. Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 23, 268-273. doi: 10.24839/2325-7342.JN23.4.268
Ellis, M., Berger, L., Hanus, A., Ayala, E. E., Swords, B., & Siembor, M. (2014). Inadequate and harmful clinical supervision: Revising the framework and assessing occurrence. The Counseling Psychologist, 42, 434-72. doi: 10.1177/0011000013508656 **Article received 2014 Division 17 Supervision and Training Section’s Article of the Year Award**
Thieman, T., Clary, G., Olson, A., Dauner, R., & Ring, E. E. (2009). Introducing students to psychological research: General psychology as a laboratory. Teaching of Psychology, 36, 160-168. doi: 10.1080/00986280902959994